The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-21
THE EARTHQUAKES AT NICE.
A Vivid Description of Its Horrors by Badly
Scared Man.

A Vivid Description of Its Horrors by Badly
Scared Man.
Correspondence Baltimore Sun.
Balls were held all over the city, but there
were 20, 900 at the one great ball of the night
went to that ball. and it was very late when
reached home I was quartered in the third.
floor of the Grand Hotel. Though it was nearly
daylight could not Sleep and SO lay in bed
reading book. Suddenly and without warning
a roar more terrible than a tornado came. A
floor and thousand trains of cars seemed rolling
over the roof The noise was indescribable. It
seemed as if the world were being ground to
pieces and the city with it. The first shock
threw me into the middle of the floor which
tipped no like the roof of house. l tried to
walk, but was pitched headlong across the room.
The bed rolled from side to side, and went after
il. WAS shaken as strong man shakes a boy.
AS l could master myself
managed. by great effort to reach
adjoining. 1t was locked. ! kicked and
pou. led, but IN that awful could only iuet
iase IS voice l shouted as loud as l could and
yelled that it was an earthquake-that we must
fly to the street. We burst open the double
doors. and i'll some way, don't know how, got
down stairs while the great walls, ten feet
thick, cracking with artillery reports
The scenes in the corridors and the floors be-
low us were like a riot in a mad house. Beauti-
ful women, with long hair streaming down their
backs, rushed wildly around, beseeching the por-
ters to save them. One woman appeared with
a bird-cage and two canaries The birds were
so frightened that they hung backs downward
from their cage with their eyes Closed. Having
experienced earthquakes in San Francisco,
thought was familiar with them. but at Nice
the horror was beyond description. On the
street the people lost their heads Fifty dollars
nfTo fopo ind 81 l-
of ladies in their night garments fell on their
knees before great rough porters more fright
ened than themselves. Money could not hire
them to go into the buildings for trunks. We
dragged down our own luggage and saved every
thing. Twenty thousand people packed the
public square.
The second shock was more terrible than the
first. To tell the truth. could not remember
whether it was two seconds or two hours after
the first shock. But it was fearful convulsion.
Then the panic became general Think
of it-70,0 people trying to dodge 10000
buildings. l expected every moment to see the
city fall in ruins. New York could not stand a
minute under such shocks. The great blocks of
public buildings rose and fell like ships in a
storm. The motion was unlike anything moved
by natural laws. Gravitation seemed entirely
suspended during the throes. AIy feet would be
in the air and in moment later could see the
tops of fourstory houses as they leaned over on
the earth pillows sweeping across the city.
Fortunately for us, Mr.. Burke and myself ha *:
purchased tickets for Paris on the previous day.
At the station we found 18, 900 people praying to
go on the neyt train. The cars, holding seventy
people. were literally packed with humanity, but
o multitude who were outside could not get near
the train. AS high 1000 francs were offered
for place on the train. The first earthquake
shock came at o'clock. At o'clock word was
received by telegraph that another shock from
Rome, some other point, would reach Nice in
an hour. This created fresh panic Men in
excitement shouldered half-dressed women,
thinking they were trunks Women ran around
trying to save little trinkets, utterly bereft of
sense or Judgment and inploring the guards to
put them on the cars. The morning train did
not get off until noon. Then I was happy. An
earthquake changes mans nature / did not
care whether the town sank, with everybody in
it, if could only get away.